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Project Hougoumont

The Project Hougoumont Committee commissioned Vivien Mallock to produce a memorial to the British who fell at Waterloo.

The completed work is to be installed on the battlefield in Belgium in Hougoumont Farm, which is currently undergoing restoration financed by the UK Treasury, in preparation for the bicentenary celebrations in June 2015.

Vivien’s clay maquette shows the concept, which is based on the moment during the battle when the British soldiers managed to close the gates of Hougoumont Farm against stiff French resistance. The Duke of Wellington considered that the closure of the gates was a pivotal moment in the battle, which ultimately led to the British victory.

The two figures are to be life size in bronze. The gates are represented by two large panels of Priory stone, into which representative quotes are to be inscribed by Robyn Golden Hann.

The line Closing the Gates on War emphasises the fact that 18 June 1815 was the last occasion when the British fought the French.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Belgian battlefield before unveiling the memorial at Hougoumont Farm, a key site in the fighting on Wednesday 17 June 2015.

Events are marking the 200th anniversary of the battle, which cost thousands of British and allied lives in the defeat of Napoleon’s forces. Relatives of the three commanders at Waterloo also attended the unveiling.